Rock and roll horse



1L967 c. T. STANFORD ETAL 3,35 ,109

ROCK AND ROLL HORSE CLARENCE STAN F'O RD INVENTORS Filed Oct. 29, 1965 CHARLES T STAN FORD .\1|\\\ I I I a A l a 4 United States Patent 3,350,109 ROCK AND ROLL HORSE Charles T. Stanford, Atlanta, Ga., and Clarence Stanford, Oklahoma City, Okla.; said Clarence Stanfond assignor of ten percent to Robert Ingram, Atlanta, Ga. Filed Oct. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 505,700 4 Claims. (Cl. 280-1184) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to childrens toys and more particularly to a rocking horse.

This invention is an improvement over Patent No. 2,893,745, issued to Clarence Stanford July 7, 1959 for Rock and Roll Horse.

The above referred to patent features a rockin horse and a mobile movement as a result thereof but does not provide a means for guiding or steering the horse.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a rocking toy horse mounted on a plurality of wheels arranged to support the rocking horse in a mobile manner as the latter is oscillated about a horizontal pivot point.

Another important object is to provide a means whereby the user may guide the horse during its forward movement.

Another object is to provide a rocking horse which is actuated for movement in a forward and rearward rocking manner and which moves forwardly across a supporting surface by the actions of the rider thereof in alternately shifting his weight forwardly and rearwardly.

Another object is to provide a wheel supported rocking horse wherein the rocking action will move the toy horse forward only.

Still another object is to provide a means which will aid the rider in maintaining the forward and rearward oscillating or rocking action.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a toy horse body having a toy saddle thereon. A depending wheel equipped support permits forward and rearward oscillating movement of the horse about .the horizontal axis of the support wheel. A front and two rear wheels are connected to the respective front and rear feet of the horse by axle and ratchet means for alternately driving the respective wheels forwardly as the horse is oscillated about the support wheel.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device when tilted rearwardly and illustrating, by dotted lines, the forward tilted or oscillating action thereof;

- FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view, to a different scale, partially in section, of the front wheel and legs of the toy horse;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially a pair of front legs 14 and 16 and rear legs 18 and 20. A toy saddle 22, having stirrups 24, is mounted on the horses back. A support member 26 depends from the central portion of the horses body, preferably adjacent its center of gravity. The depending end of the support is bifurcated, as at 28, for receiving a support wheel 30 journaled by a horizontal pin or axle 32 extending transverselythrough the bifurcated end 28. The length of the support 26 is such that, in combination with the radius of the wheel 30, the body of the horse may be oscillated about the horizontal pivot 32 without the front or rear feet contacting a supporting surface as hereinafter described.

Adjacent the body 12 of the horse the support 26 is horizontally divided for receiving a bearing 34. A central pin or shaft 36 extends through the bearing into the body of the horse and support so that the support 26 may be pivoted about the vertical axis of the shaft 36.

The front legs 14 and 16 are separated from the body 12 and are connected to a plate 38 forming a part of a similar bearing 40. The upper portion of the bearing 40 is connected with a tube 42 extended angularly upwardly through and projecting out of the horses neck portion. A steering shaft 44, having a handle 46 at its upper end, is coaxially received by the tube 42 and is connected at its lower end with the plate 38. Ears 48 and 50, connected with the plate 38 and projecting laterally of the horses legs 14 and 16, respectively, are connected with a similar pair of ears 52 and 54 laterally connected with the lower portion of the bearing 34 of the support 26 by a pair of cables 56 and 58, respectively. Each of the cables 56 and 58 have clevis-like end portions to facilitate their connection with the respective ears. Thus manual rotation of the steering shaft 44 in either direction, by means of the handle 46, turns the front legs 14 and 16 and similarly turns the support 26 and wheel 30.

A front wheel 60 is interposed between the front legs 14 and 16 and is connected thereto by a horizontal axle 62 extending through the hoof portions of the front legs. Similarly a pair of rear wheels 64 and 66, positioned outwardly of the respective rear legs 18 and 20, are connected to the hoof portions of the latter by a rear axle 68.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 5 and 6, the wheel construction and hoof connection illustrated is typical of both the front wheel 60 and the rear wheels 64 and 66. In the interest of brevity only the wheel 66 is described. The wheel 66 comprises a drum portion 70 having a circular peripheral surface 72 and an adjacent flanged edge portion diametrically greater than the periphery 72 and having a notched periphery to form ratchet teeth 74. The wheel further includes a rim portion 76 having an inner periphery diametrically greater than the drum periphery 72 for receiving a bearing 78. The ratchet teeth 74 maintains the bearing 78 in place at one side thereof while a plate 80, connected with the drum, overlaps the bearing 78 and wheel rim 76 to maintain the wheel rim and bearing assembled with the drum. A rimlike tire 82 surrounds the outer periphery of the wheel rim. Hubcaps 84 supported by the drum and axle cover the respective side surfaces of the wheel. The axle 68 projects through the drum 70 and plate 80 through a suitable aperture formed in offset relation with respect to the center of the wheel and is secured thereto for rotation of the axle 68 with the drum 70 by a key 86. A dog or pawl 88 is pivotally connected at one end to the wheel rim 76 while its free end portion is in contact with the ratchet teeth 74. A spring 90 constantly maintains the free end of the pawl 88 in engagement with one of the ratchet teeth 74.

The axle 68 is connected to the hoof portion 92 of the rear leg 20 by forming a suitable transverse axle receiving aperture 94 and dividing the hoof portion 92 from the leg 20 substantially along the normal upper limit of the hoof. The bottom or separated portion of the hoof, after receiving the axle 68, is connected to the depending end of the leg 20 by a plurality of screws 96 extended upwardly through the hoof portion and into the leg on opposing sides of the axle 68. A helical tension or thrust spring 98 surrounds the axle 68 adjacent the hoof portion 92 and is connected at one end thereto by a pin or rivet 100 while the other end of the spring 98 is connected by a pin or rivet 102 to the axle 68.

Operation The downward movement of the axle 62 rotates the front wheel 60 forwardly as a result of the pawl 88 engaging the ratchet teeth 74 while the pawls on the ratchet teeth on the rear wheels ride around the teeth thereof permitting the rear wheels to roll forwardly in combination with the center supporting wheel 30. During the downward movement of the front legs the connected tension springs 98 are placed under tension. As the rider shifts his weight rearwardly the tension springs 98, on the forward axle, tend to lift the axle and forward end of the horse wherein the hub and ratchet teeth move in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1. The thrust springs 98 are preferably connected to the respective hoof and axles 62 and 68 in such a manner that they tend to return the respective axle to a position, forwardly and upwardly, at an angle of approximately 30, as shown by the dotted line position (FIG. 6), with respect to a horizontal plane taken through the center of the respective wheel. The springs 98, when under tension by the downward movement of the respective axle stop the axle movement in the approximate position shown by solid lines (FIG. 6). Thus the oscillating movement of the horse moves the respective axle 62 and 68 through an arc of substantially 90. The rearwardly imposed weight of the rider, through the rear legs 18 and 20, moves the rear axle downwardly rotating the rearward wheels forwardly in the manner described hereinabove and placing the thrust springs 98 on the rearward axle 68 under tension to complete the oscillating cycle. During this oscillating movement the handle 46 may be manually moved in either direction to guide the front wheel 60 and support wheel 30 as described hereinabove.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and we therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than we are limited by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A rocking horse, including: a supporting wheel having a horizontal axle; a body adapted to support the weight of a rider; a vertical support member connected at its upper end to said body adjacent its center of gravity, said support member having a bifurcated depending end portion receiving said supporting wheel and connected with said horizontal axle for rocking movement of said horse about the axis of said horizontal axle; front and rear wheel means for respectively supporting the front and rear legs of said horse; front and rear axles respectively connected with said front and rear legs of said horse and eccentrically connected, respectively, with said front and rear wheel means, said front and rear Wheel means including a drum secured to the respective said axle for rotation therewith, said drum having a toothed peripheral portion forming a ratchet wheel, a wheel rim mounted on the periphery of said drum for rotation therearound, and a spring urged pawl mounted on said wheel rim in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel; and spring means connecting said front and rear axles to the respective leg of said horse, said spring means normally resisting downward movement of the front and rear legs of said horse.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 and including: bearing means connecting said support member to said body for horizontal pivoting movement of said support member; other bearing means connecting both front legs of said horse to said body; and means for turning both front legs of said horse and said supporting wheel in a steering action.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 in which the last mentioned means comprises a handle member connected with the front legs of said horse and projecting upwardly above the latter; and a pair of cables connecting the respective front legs of said horse to diametrically opposite sides of said support member.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which said spring means comprises a helical thrust spring surrounding and connected at one end to the respective said axle and connected at its other end to the respective adjacent leg of said horse whereby downward movement of said front and rear axles places said thrust spring under tension and prevents circumferential rotation, of the respective said front and rear axles, about the horizontal axis of each said drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,425 3/ 1920 Chapdelaine 280-1.l92 1,978,066 "10/ 1934 Vanderbosch. 2,893,745 7/1959 Stanford 2801.184

FOREIGN PATENTS 332,012 11/1935 Italy.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROCKING HORSE, INCLUDING A SUPPORTING WHEEL HAVING A HORIZONTAL AXLE; A BODY ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF A RIDER; A VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER CONNECTED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID BODY ADJACENT ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A BIFURCATED DEPENDING END PORTION RECEIVING SAID SUPPORTING WHEEL AND CONNECTED WITH SAID HORIZONTAL AXLE FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID HORSE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID HORIZONTAL AXLE; FRONT AND REAR WHEEL MEANS FOR RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTING THE FRONT AND REAR LEGS OF SAID HORSE; FRONT AND REAR AXLE RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID FRONT AND REAR LEGS OF SAID HORSE AND ECCENTRICALLY CONNECTED, RESPECTIVELY, WITH SAID FRONT AND REAR WHEEL MEANS, SAID FRONT AND REAR WHEEL MEANS INCLUDING A DRUM SECURED TO THE RESPECTIVE SAID AXLE FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID DRUM HAVING A TOOTHED PERIPHERAL PORTION FORMING A RATCHET WHEEL, A WHEEL RIM MOUNTED ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID DRUM FOR ROTATION THEREAROUND, AND A SPRING URGED PAWL MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL RIM IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TEETH OF SAID RATCHET WHEEL; AND SPRING MEANS CONNECTING SAID FRONT AND REAR AXLES TO THE RESPECTIVE LET OF SAID HORSE, SAID SPRING MEANS NORMALLY RESISTING DOWNWARDLY MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT AND REAR LEGS OF SAID HORSE. 